Treeing-machine.



J. S. HANSEN.

TREEING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 190a.

Patented June 25, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAI'I! Co.,w s|uNGTON, D. c.

J. S. HANSEN.

TREEING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mun JAN. 9, 1905.

' 1,030,727, Patented June 25, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2L WrmE55E5 INVENTEIR COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH (TD-.WASHINGION, n. c.

J. S. HANSEN.

TREBING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAIL-9, 1905.

Patented June 25, 1912.

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UNfTED sawrus PATENT oFFIoE.

JOHN S. HANSEN, F MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS ASSIGNOR TO 0. A. MILLER TREEING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TREEING-MAGHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 9, 1905.

Patented June 25, 1912.

Serial No. 240,336.

7 citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Treeing- Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for treeing boots and shoes, and more particularly to a machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 442,034, dated December 2, 1890, in which a pair of trees are supported on an oscillatory head and are alternately brought into operative position with relation to an actuator, shown as a lever, which expands the trees to distend the shoes to the shape which they possessed when removed from the lasts, and to stretch the shoes slightly. Any form of expansible trees may be used in this machine, but I have shown trees of the type disclosed in the patent to Tyler No. 319,356, dated June 2, 1885, which are expanded by drawing on a rod carrying a cam to separate the heel. from the forepart of the tree, and which are contracted by a reversemovement of said rod effected by a spring. WVhile on the expanded tree the shoe is usually subjected to rubbing and to ironing with a heated or other instrumei'it to assist in bringing the shoe into its original shape and to remove from it the wrinkles and creases that were formed during previous steps in its manufacture. The ironing also polishes the shoe upper and gives it a better appearance than it would otherwise have.

One very important feature of my invention consists in providing novel mechanism for moving the tree of a shoe-treeing machine to present said tree at a given point, as, for instance, in front of the workman who performs the rubbing or the ironing op- I oration, or in operative position with relation to a treeing mechanism which is to perform some operation upon the shoe carried by the tree. This feature of my invention may also include means for moving aside a tree after the operation on the shoe has been completed. By reason of this improvement the manual labor heretofore required for moving the tree to and from desired position is rendered unnecessary.

Another feature of my invention consists in novel mechanism for looking a tree after it has been expanded, thereby to retain it in expanded condition while another tree is being operated upon.

A further feature of this invention consists in novel mechanism for insuring the gradual contraction of the tree. This mechanism not only avoids the jar and breakage which have been caused in prior machines by the sudden return of the tree parts to their retracted positions, but also prevents the rumpling of the dressed surface of the shoe that frequently is produced by the sudden stopping of the parts as the tree collapses.

The invention also consists in features, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts, which will be set forth in the following description and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with certain parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. l, with the parts in a different position. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper portion of the machine with certain parts broken away. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the upper portion of the machine, the section line being indicated at l-et on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the machine with the parts in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lower portion of the machine as seen from the plane 66 indicated on Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the. lower port-ion of the machine.

An upper table A. is supported upon legs 13, which also support a lower table A. The upper table A sustains a bracket C in which, a vertical rockshaft 9 has bearings. The rock haft 9 has secured thereto, by the clamping screw 00, a head 10, which is provided in the illustrated embodiment of the invention with two radially projecting arms or branches 11,, 12, which contain bearings for the rotatable shanks (Z of the trees D, I). The arms 11 and 12 are counterparts of each other and the expansible trees are also alike. It will therefore be necessary to describe only one tree and its relation to its supporting arm and to the operating mechanism. The construction of one of the trees, 1), is clearly disclosedin Fig. 3, and such tree will. be described with relation to its supporting arm 12.

The tree herein shown comprises front and rear sections which are moved toward and from each other to expand and contract the tree by a rod (P, which is adapted to be drawn out for expanding the tree by a suitable actuator, shown as a lever 10, and here inafter described, and to be returned to normal position for contracting or collapsing the tree by a spring d. The rod is guided in a loop (5 secured to the forepart of said tree, and is provided with shoulders (Z ,'see Figs. 1 and 3, which serve as stops to limitthe movement of the rod in the direction for contracting the tree.

The shank portion d of the tree is held against longitudinal movement in the bearing of its supporting arm by means of a set screw (8* extending through the bearing into an annular groove in the trunnion of the tree, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The supporting arm is hollow, as shown in Fig. 3, and the rod (i is surrounded in the hollow portion of the arm by a heavy coiled spring 15, which bears at the rear end against an adjustable collar 16, the position of which may be altered by the hand nut 17 and check nut 18, shown in Fig. 3. The rod (Z receives a follower 20 in front of the spring 15, and said follower is provided with a downwardly projecting pin 21 which ex tends through a slot in the supporting arm, and is received in the head 23 of' a guide rod 2%, which has bearing in the arms or branches of the head, as seen in Figs. 3 and -l-.

The head 23 of the guide rod 24: is adapted to be engaged by the head of the lever 40, above referred to, which is fulcrumed between ears 0 on the bracket G. The lever 40 is connected by a pin and slot at 410* with one arm of a bell-crank lever 13, the other arm of which is provided with a footpiece 13*.

The bell-crank lever 43 is fulcrumed between the ears a of the lower table A. Depression of the foot-piece 43 forces the upper end of the lever a0 against the head 23 of the guide rod 2% and draws the rod (i toward the rear for expanding the tree. The follower acts through the spring 15 in draw ing the rod rearwardly and the spring is thus compressed more or less to compensate for slight differences in the size of different shoes.

The tree is locked in expanded condition by the following means. The head 23 of the guide rod has secured to one side thereof a plate 26 provided with an opening to be engaged by a latch 27 when the guide rod 2 1 has been moved by the lever 4:0 backwardly in its bearings to draw the rod (i for expanding the tree. This latch thereby locks the rod (Z and holds the tree expanded until said latch is released from the plate 26. The shoe on the tree may be subjected to rubbing or ironing while the tree is expanded, and this operation usually causes the shoe to stretch or distend somewhat. The spring 15 under stress between the follower 20 and the adjustable collar 16 expands for automatically taking up all stretch or distention of the shoe while on the tree and maintaining an approximately uniform pull on the expanding rod. This insures thatthe tree shall fill the shoe completely at all times and cause the shoe to conform perfectly to the shape of the tree.

The latch releasing mechanisms carried by the two arms or branches 11 and 12 of the head are duplicates, as may be seen from Fig. at, and the following description of that one of them which is carried by the arm 11 and which is shown also in Fig. 3 will be suflicient for an understanding of both mech anisms. a rockshaft 29 which is supported in bearings in the arm. The other arm 30 of said rockshaft (see Fig. 2) is provided on its upper surface with a stop pin 31. The rockshaft supports, above the arm 30, an arm 32 which is free to move about said rockshaft. The arm 32 is longer than the arm 30 and is normally held against one side of the stop 31 by a spring The bracket C is provided with inwardly projecting rods 35 one of which extends into the path of the rear end of this arm 32 when said arm is moved with the head 10 to present the trees successively in operative position with relation to the actuating lever 40. The arrangement of the parts is such that as a tree is moved from operative relation with the lever 10, as seen in Fig, 3, the rear end of the arm 32 of the latch releasing mechanism for said arm 32 contacts with the rod 35, as seen in Fig. at, and is swung freely about the rockshaft 29 and away from the stop pin 31 until it passes the rod 35, without moving the arm 30 or the latch 27, the spring 33 permitting such movement of the arm 32. The latch, therefore, is not disengaged from the plate 26 when a tree is swung away from the actuator, but continues to hold the tree ex panded. lVhen, however, a tree is moved as indicated in Fig. 4 to bring it toward operative position with relation to the actua tor, as from the position occupied by the tree D carried by the branch 12 in Fig. 3, toward the position occupied by the tree D carried by the branch 11 in said figure, the

The latch is formed on one arm of rear end of the arm 32 carried by said branch contacts with the rod 35, see Fig. 4,

, and causes said arm 32 to act through the stop pin 31 for moving the arm which is fast on the rockshaft, and thereby to turn the rockshaft in the direction for disengaging the latch 27 from plate 26 on the guide rod 24, whereupon the rod (i is permitted to be retracted to normal position by the spring d for contracting the tree.

A spring 36 connects the rear ends of the two arms 30, carried respectively by the two branches 11 and 12 of the head 10, and this spring returns the arm 30 and thereby the rockshaft and latch to normal position as soon as the arm 32 has passed by the rod 35 in the movement of a tree toward operative position.

The relation of the rods 35 go the arms 32 of the rockshatts is most clearly disclosed in Fig. 4, in which the head 10 is indicated as moving in the direction of the arrows on said figure. The arms 32 of the latch releasing mechanisms for both of the trees are represented as being in contact with the rods 35. The arm of the branch 11 of the head is shown as being turned with relation to its rockshat't until it shall pass by the rod 35 and therefore it does not actuate its rockshaft, so that the latch of the tree carried on that branch is not unfastened in the movement of the tree away from the actuating lever 40. The branch 12 of the head is represented as moving in the direction to bring its tree into operative position, and the arm 32 of the latch releasing mechanism for this tree is represented as contacting with its rod Said arm 32 is shown as hearing against its stop pin 31 which has caused said arm 32, as it has been turned by the rod 35, to move the arm 30, and thereby has turned the rockshaft and unfastened the latch 27 from its plate 26, thus releasing the guide rod 24 of the branch 12.

It may be seen in Fig. 3 from the relation of the guide loop (Z on the tree to the shoulders (Z on the rod (5* that said rod has a considerable extent of movement in returning to normal position for contracting the tree. This movement is produced by the spring (Z after the rod has been unlocked by the mechanism above described and causes the shoulders d on said rod (Z to strike the guide loop (Z with suflicient violence to produce a sharp noise and an objectionable jarring of the machine, and in some instances to break the tree. Furthermore the shock caused by the sudden stopping of these rapidly moving parts, while the shoe is no longer stretched by the tree, tends to wrinkle or distort the smoothly dressed surface of the shoe and gives it a rumpled appearance, thus undoing to a certain degree the work of the operator. To obviate these objections the mechanism now to be described has been provided to furnish means by. which the rod 01 is re turned gradually to normal position without objectionable noise or jarring of the machine and without marring the appearance of the shoe. The actuating lever 40 is provided at its upper end with arms 41 and buiier blocks 42 are pivoted to the ends of the arms. The blocks 42 are provided with studs 42 which are connected by a spring 44 and the lever 40 carries stops 45 which limit the movement of the studs 42 in the direction in which they are drawn by the spring. The arrangement of said stops 45 and spring 44 is such that the blocks 42 are held normally in the position shown in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Fig. 4, but said blocks 42 are capable of being moved into the posit-ion in which one of said blocks shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the spring 44 yielding to permit the block 42 to be moved into said dotted line position. With the parts in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4, and with the head 10 moving in the direction indicated by the arrows on said figure, the latch is operated by the rod 35 to release the guide rod 24, which is carried by the branch 12 of the head. The spring (i then acts to move the rod cZ outwardly and the head 23 of the rod 24 immediately strikes the butter block 42 at a point approximately opposite the pivotal connection of said block 42 to the arm 41. The movement of the rod (Z from the time the latch is unfastened until the guide rod 24 strikes the butter block 42 is not sufficient to cause any objectionable results, and as the trees continue to move in the direction of the arrows, the head 23 of the guide rod slides with relation to the surface of the buffer block, and as it is moving toward its central position opposite the actuating lever 40, said guide rod causes the buffer block 42 to turn upon its pivot. This allows said guide rod 24 to move gradually in the direction in which the spring d is pressing the bar (i and when it has reached a position opposite the lever 40 it will have turned the buffer block 42 into the position shown in dotted lines in said Fig. 4. When the guide rod 24 has reached this position the rod (Z will have been moved sufliciently far to have contracted the tree to normal position ready for the shoe thereon to be removed and an other shoe to be put in its place. The other buffer block 42 constitutes a stop which is held by the spring 44 in position for the guide rod 24 to strike when it comes into place opposite the lever 40, said buffer block thereby positioning said guide rod and the tree to which it is connected with relation to the lever 40. As soon as the guide rod 24 reaches its central position it passes the end of the buffer block 42 which it has turned parts of an expansible tree to normal position; and it is also new to provide a buffer block which will move with relation to the guide rod of the tree, thereby to guide the said rod into position, and which will thereafter act as a stop for holding said rod.

For the purpose of turning the rockshaft 9 to move the trees toward and from operative relation to the actuator a cylinder cam 50 is rotatably supported between cars a formed on the lower table A. In the periphery of the said cam is formed a spiral groove and the rockshaft 9 has secured thereto'an arm 51 carrying a cam roll which stands in said groove. The cam block 50 is provided with ratchet teeth 52 and the bell-crank lever 43, before described as' ar: ranged for operating the actuating lever 40, has secured to its upper end a yoke 441 pivotally connected at 451 to a yoke 46, the ends of which are pivoted to the cars a above referred to. The yoke 46 supports pawls 53 which engage in the ratchet teeth 52 of the cam 50, A spring 48 is connected to the lower arm of the bell-crank lever 43 and to the table A of the machine, and when permitted to do so, moves the lever 43 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 1, and in so doing causes the pawls 53 to turn the cam 50. The spiral groove in the cam 50 moves the arm 51' of the rockshaft 9 to turn said rockshaft and move the tree whichhas been last operated upon away from the actuating lever 40, and simultaneously to bring the other tree which is to receive the shoe next to be treed into operative relation to the lever 40.

The table A has an extension A to which is attached a bracket 60. A rockshaft 61' is mounted in said bracket and is provided with a hooked arm (32 adapted to engage with a lug- 47 on the bell-crank lever 43, shown in Fig. 5, thereby to hold the bell-crank lever 43 in its depressed position, that being the position to which it is moved for causing the actuating lever 40 to expand a tree. The rockshaft 61 is also provided with an arm 63 having a footpiece which is adapted to be engaged by the operator for turning the rockshaft to withdraw the hook of the arm 62 from the lug 47 on the bell-crank lever.

A spring 64 connects the rockshaft 61 with the extension A of the table to holdthe rockshaft in such relation that the hooked arm 62 is in position to engage the lug 47 on the bell-crank lever 43 when said lever 43 is depressed. l/Vhen the bell-crank lever 43 is moved downwardly the yoke 46 is moved forwardly or toward the left in Fig. 5, to cause the pawls 53 to engage fresh ratchet teeth 52 and the spring 48 is put under stress. When the arm 63 of the rockshaft 61 is moved by the workman to release the hooked arm 62 and allow the spring 48 to turn the lever 3 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 1, said bellcrank lever 43 moves the yoke 46 and the pawls carried thereby for turning the cam 50. This movement of the cam swings the arm 51 of the rockshaft 9, by reason of the engagement of the roll on said arm with the spiral groove in the cam, and thereby moves the tree which was last expanded from operative position with relation to the actuating lever 40 and brings the other tree into operative position with relation to said lever.

The operation of the machine is as follows :A shoe is applied to a tree when the tree is in the position occupied-by the tree D in Fig. 3, said tree being at such time contracted. The workman then depresses the arm 43 of the lever 43 until the lug 47 thereon has engaged the hooked arm 62. This movement of the lever 43 causes the lever 40 to engage the guide rod 24 and move the rod 6Z toward the right for expanding the tree within the shoe. \Vhen the tree has been expanded to the desired condition the latch 27 engages the plate 26 carried by the guide rod 24, and thereafter maintains the tree in such expanded condition until the latch is released, as hereinafter explained. The workman then performs the customary rubbing of the shoe to remove therefrom the wrinkles and creases; This rubbing usually produces some expansion of the shoe, and the strong spring 15, which has been somewhat compressed when the tree was expanded, exerts a constant pull upon the rod (i and causes said tree to be further expanded for taking up any slack in the shoe produced by the treeing operation. When the rubbing has been finished, theworkman with his foot presses the foot-piece 63 and thereby releases the lug 47 on the lever 43 to permit the lever 40 to be returned by the spring 48 to normal position. The movement of the lever 43 in returning the lever 40 to normal with relation to said lever 40. During the movement of said last-mentioned tree into operative position the arm 32 of the latch mechanism of said tree contacts with its rod 35 and withdraws the latch 27 from the plate 26 and permits the rod (Z to be moved by the spring Z until the head 23 of the guide rod 24 comes in contact with the buffer block 42. In the further movement of said tree toward operative position the head of the guide rod 2 1 slides along and turns the buffer block 42, permitting the spring d to expand gradually until the tree reaches its operative position with the guide rod 24L opposite the lever 40, by which time the tree will have been contracted. The workman then removes the shoe from this tree and replaces it with the shoe next to be treed.

In the machine above described it is assumed that the workman who rubs and irons the shoe will stand where he can also operate the expanding lever, and will perform his work on the shoe immediately after the tree is expanded and before it is moved away from the expanding lever, but it is of course clear that the shoe might be placed upon the tree and the tree expanded by one workman and the tree then moved to another position for another workman to rub the shoe.

I/Vhile it is desirable that the machine should both present the trees to the desired point and thereafter move them away, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to a machine which includes means for giving both these movements to the trees, as any machine which gives the tree either of these movements is within the scope of my invention.

In the machine above described the head is provided with two branches or arms to receive two trees but it is to be understood that the number of trees with which the head is provided is not material. It is also to be understood that while the machine is shown as arranged to permit the head to oscillate for bringing the trees successively to the desired point as, for example, into operative relation with the means for expanding the tree or in front of the workman who is to rub the shoethe invention is not limited to a construction in which the trees are brought into the desired position by an oscillatory movement of the head which carries the tools.

The means for expanding the trees is herein shown as consisting of a manually operated lever, as indicated at 40, but it is to be understood that any other actuator may be employed toexpand the tree, whether it be operated manually or by power.

Certain subject matter disclosed in this application, particularly that relating to the mechanism for moving the turret to carry the trees into or out of operative relationship of the stretching mechanism, is not claimed broadly herein, but such claims are made in applicants co-pending application Serial No. 123,639, filed Sept. 16, 1902.

Having thus described a preferred form of my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a treeing machine, the combination with an expansible tree, an actuator for expanding the tree, spring actuated means for contracting the tree, means for locking the tree in expanded condition and adapted to be actuated for unlocking the tree, of means for insuring the gradual contraction of the tree by said spring actuated means.

2. In a treeing machine, an expansible tree, means for moving the tree to and from operative position, an actuator for expanding the tree, spring actuated means for con'" tracting the tree, means for locking the tree in expanded condition, means for automatically unlocking the tree as it is moved to- Ward operative position, and means for insuring the gradual contraction of the tree by said spring actuated means.

3. In a treeing machine, an expansible tree, an actuator for expanding the tree, a spring for effecting the contraction of the tree, means for locking the tree in expanded condition, means for unlocking said tree, and a buffer arranged to receive the impact caused by said spring and to insure the gradual contraction of the tree.

4:. In a treeing machine, a movable tree, an actuator for expanding the tree, spring actuated means for contracting the tree, means for locking the tree in expanded condition, means for releasing the lock and permitting the spring actuated means to contract the tree, and a buffer comprising a pivoted lever arranged to receive the impact caused by said spring actuated means at a point opposite its pivot and to permit the tree to move along said lever and turn it about its pivot to insure the gradual contraction of the tree.

5. In a treeing machine, a movable tree, an actuator for expanding the tree, a spring for effecting the contraction of the tree, means for locking the tree in expanded con dition, means for releasing the lock and permitting the spring to contract the tree, a buifer comprising a pivoted lever arranged to receive the impact caused by said spring at a point approximately opposite its pivot and to permit the tree to move along said lever past its end, said lever turning about "its pivot to insure the gradual contraction of the tree, and means for reversely moving said lever to cause it to serve as a stop for preventing backward movement of the tree.

6. In a treeing machine, a tree, an actuator for expanding the tree, means for locking the tree in expanded condition, means for moving the tree into operative position with relation to the actuator, means for releasing the lock, a spring for effecting the contraction of the tree, a butler comprising a pivoted lever arranged to receive the impact caused by said spring at a point opposite its pivot and to permit the tree to be moved along said lever, the lever turning about its pivot to insure the gradual contraction of the tree, and a stop cooperating with said lever to lock the tree in operative position.

7. In a treeing machine, a head having arms supporting a plurality of trees, an actuator for expanding the trees one at a time, said head being movable in either direction to present the different trees in operative position with relation to the actuator, a spring for effecting the contraction of the trees, means for locking the trees independently in expanded condition, means for releasing the lock of a tree to permit its spring to expand the tree as the tree is moved toward operative position, and a pivoted bufier on each side of the actuator arranged to receive at a point adjacent its pivot the impact caused by the spring of the unlocked tree and to permit the tree to move along said buffer past its end, the buffer so engaged turning about its pivot to insure the gradual contraction of the tree, the other buifer serving as a stop for limiting the movement of the tree arm.

8. In a treeing machine, a head provided with a plurality of arms to support trees, an actuator for expanding said trees, said head being movable to present the trees one at a time to said actuator, and means for holding said arms in position with relation to said actuator, said means comprising stops pivotally mounted on said actuator and adapted to engage opposite sides of a tree arm.

9. In a treeing machine, an oscillatory head, a plurality of expansible trees carried thereon, an actuator for expanding the trees one at a time, means to lock each tree in expanded condition, means for unlocking each tree, springs for eilecting the contraction of the trees, a pair of movable butters adapted to receive the impact caused by the springs of said trees and insure the gradual return of the unlocked tree to contracted condition, said butters cooperating to hold said tree in operative position with relation to the actuator.

10. In a treeing machine, the combination with an actuator and a tree arranged to be moved toward and from position to-be expanded by said actuator, of locking and unlocking means and stationary means carried by a relatively fixed portion of the machine and adapted to cooperate with the locking means during a portion ofthe movement of the tree toward operative position for automatically unlocking the tree and then automatically disengage the locking means during a further portion of said movement, whereby the locking means is left in position to relock the tree when the tree is again exp anded.

11. In a treeing machine, the combination wit-h an actuator and an expansible tree arranged to be moved into and out of position to be expanded by said actuator, of means for locking and unlocking the tree, said means comprising a rockshaft havlng an arm adapted to cooperate with the tree for looking it in expanded condition, a second arm, and a stop arranged to be engaged by said second arm as the tree is moved toward and from operative relation to the actuator, said second arm being connected to said rockshaft for movement relatively thereto when the tree is moved away from the actuator and for turning said shaft to unlock the expanded tree during the movement of the tree toward the actuator.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with an expansible tree, of spring-actuated means for contracting the tree and a movable buffer arranged to insure gradual contraction of the tree by said spring-actuated means.

13. In a machine of the class described,

the combination with a laterally movable tree, of a latch provided with a seat for the tree and with stops pivotally supported at opposite sides of the seat and arrangedto swing independently for permitting the tree to enter the seat.

14. In a treeing machine, a rockshaft, a tree carried thereby, actuating mechanism for expanding said tree, an arm on said rockshaft, a cam engaging said arm, and a pawl and ratchet connection between said cam and the said actuating mechanism for moving said tree out of operative relation to said actuating mechanism after the tree has been expanded.

15. In a treeing machine, a rockshaii't, an expansible tree carried thereby, an actuating mechanism for expanding said tree, a cam, an arm on said rockshaft in operative engagement with said cam, and a pawl and ratchet connect-i011 between the cam and said actuating mechanism, constructed and arranged to cause the said actuating mechanism alternately to expand a tree and then to turn the cam to move the tree with relation to the position occupied by it while being expanded.

16. In a treeing machine, a shaft, a plurality of expansible trees carried thereby, an actuating mechanism for expanding said trees, a cam connected to said shaft, and a pawl and rachet connection between the cam and said actuating mechanism, constructed and arranged to cause the said ac tuating mechanism alternately to expand a tree and to operate the cam to cause the trees to be presented successively in position to be expanded.

17. In a treeing machine, a rockshaft provided with a pair of trees, an actuating mechanism for expanding said trees, a cam block having connection with said rockshaft and provided with a spiral groove and with ratchet teeth adapted to be engaged by said actuating mechanism, said ratchet teeth be ing so located with relation to said spiral groove that the cam will be moved step by step to oscillate the rockshaft for presenting the trees alternately in position to be expanded.

18. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a laterally movable tree, of means for securing the tree, said securing means comprising a latch having a seat for the tree and stops located at opposite sides of the seat, said stops being constructed and arranged to permit one stop to swing out of the path of the tree as the tree approaches its seat and cause the other stop to occupy a position to arrest the movement of the tree when it reaches its seat.

19. In a treeing machine, the combination with an actuator and an expansible tree movable toward and from operative relation to the actuator, of means for retaining the tree in expanded condition, means for securing the tree in operative relation to the actuator comprising a yieldingly mounted stop constructed and arranged to be displaced by the tree as it is moved toward the actuator and to swing into position for locking the tree against reverse movement, said machine being constructed and arranged to permit the tree to contract during its engagement with said yielding stop whereby the contraction 01 the tree is gradually effected.

20. In a treeing machine, the combination with an actuator and an expansible tree movable toward and from operative relation to the actuator, of means adapted to lock the tree in expanded. condition and to unlock the tree, and spring-actuated means adapted to contract the tree gradually when the tree is unlocked.

21. A treeing machine having in combination, an expansible tree, means for expanding the tree, means for securing the tree in expanded position, means for contracting the tree and a device associated with an element of the expanding means to insure the gradual contraction of the tree.

22. A machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, comprising in combination, the plunger 20, the spring 15 arranged to actuate the plunger in one direction, the treadle 43 and connections therefrom to actuate the plunger in the opposite direction and thereby put the spring under tension, and devices 42 and 44: for yieldingly resisting the ex pansion of the spring to insure a slow return of the plunger to its initial position.

23. In a treeing'machine, an expansible tree, mechanism for expanding the tree, means for locking the tree in expanded condition, means for contracting the tree, a retarding device for insuring the gradual contraction of the tree, said tree being arranged for movement toward and from operative relation to said expanding mechanism and said device while in its expanded condition, and means for unlocking said tree when it is moved into operative relation to said retarding device.

24. In a treeing machine, a plurality of expansible trees, a common expanding mechanism for said trees, said trees being supported for movement into or out of operative relation. to said mechanism, means for locking said trees in expanded condition, means acting automatically to unlock a tree as it is moved into operative relation to said expanding mechanism and retarding means arranged in position to be engaged by a portion of a tree when it is unlocked to insure the gradual contraction of the tree.

25. In a treeing machine, two expansible trees, a common stretching mechanism for 4 expanding said trees one at a time, said trees being supported for movement into or out of operative relation to said mechanism, means for locking each of said trees in expanded. condition, means for automatically unlocking each tree when it is moved into operative relation to said mechanism, and two bufler devices one for each tree arranged on opposite sides of said expanding mechanism in position to be engaged by a portion of the actuating mechanism of a tree when it is unlocked to insure the gradual contrac tion of the tree.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN S. HANSEN.

\Vitnesses ARTHUR I1. RUssELL, BERNARD BARRows.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. G.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,030,? 27, granted June 25, 1912,

upon the application of John S. Hansen, of Medford, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Treeing-Machines, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 5, line 56, for the Word tools read trees and that the proper corrections have been made in the files and records of the case in the Patent Otfice, and are hereby made in the said Letters Patent.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of October, A. D., 1912.

[sEAL] C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

